30 Aug, 2010 Their work recognised by award - Gisborne Herald
JOSSIE and Wiremu Kaa knew each other as children growing up on the East Coast but it was not until they bonded over a mutual love of teaching that they also fell in love with each other.
That was when Jossie Green and Wiremu Kaa were both teaching at Tikitiki’s Pae o te Riri Native Primary School. Now, more than 50 years later, the pair’s work in writing and education has been recognised with a major national award.
The couple and members of their whanau were in Wellington at the weekend to accept their honours at the annual Te Waka Toi Awards, organised by the Maori arm of Creative New Zealand.
They were two of five recipients of the Sir Kingi Ihaka Awards, given to kaumatua to recognise their contribution to strengthening the continuity of Maori culture. The others were Kihi Ngatai (Bay of Plenty), Tata Maere (Hawke’s Bay) and Vera Morgan (Wellington). Meanwhile:
• The Te Waka Toi Exemplary Award (Te Tohu Aroha mo Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu) went to Gisborne-raised soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who recorded an acceptance speech at her home in England.
• The Ngoi Kumeroa Pewhairangi Award, recognising a contribution to the strengthening of the Maori language, went to Eastern Bay of Plenty writer/educator Te Onehou Phillis.
• The Te Waka Toi Award for Making a Difference was presented to Auckland-based dancer/choreographer Taiaroa Royal.
• The Te Waka Toi Scholarships went to Wairarapa curator Reuben Friend and artist Taryn Beri, who is currently working on a ta moko (Maori tattoo) apprenticeship under the eye of Tolaga Bay tohunga Mark Kopua.
It is perhaps no surprise that Jossie Kaa (Ruawaipu, Ngati Porou) became a writer and educator. She was born in 1934 at Waipiro Bay into a whanau of storytellers.
Mrs Kaa was educated in Tikitiki, Rangitukia and Taradale before moving to Wellington to study at Teachers’ College, returning to Tikitiki to take up her first post at the Pae o te Riri Native School.
There, she was reunited with her childhood friend Wiremu Kaa (also Ruawaipu, Ngati Porou), who was born in 1934 in Rangitukia. The couple married in 1958.
Though they had five children over the next decade, that did not keep Mrs Kaa from her vocation. By 1966 she had returned to work, teaching at Waiomatatini Native School, Ruatoria, where her husband was the principal.
During the following years they worked in the Bay of Islands and Reporoa before moving back to East Coast in the early 1970s, both working at Rangitukia Maori School where they had been pupils earlier in life.
They recall how, while teaching at the Bay of Islands school of Matawaia, a child asked if they could speak the “forbidden” language of Maori.
“Wiremu surprised them by replying ‘If you want to speak Maori, then it must be good Maori, just as is required when you speak English’,” Jossie Kaa recalls.
It was this incident that solidified her commitment to doing all she could to bring about a bilingual Aotearoa.
By the late 1970s the whanau had moved to Wellington where Jossie and Wiremu Kaa taught, studied and worked on publishing projects, mainly focused on te reo and educational resources.
During her career Mrs Kaa has written many children’s books in te reo Maori, while Mr Kaa advised for the Ministry of Education and lectured at the University of Victoria, becoming chairman of the university’s School of Maori Studies in 1996.
A highlight for both were the Maori Studies summer schools they ran at Hawaii’s Windward Community College in the mid-1990s.
Mr Kaa’s other role as a Minister of the Church saw him lecturing at Saint Johns Theological College in Auckland and, tying in with his and Jossie Kaa’s retirement to Rangitukia in 2004, he acted as Kaihautu of Tairawhiti Taapapa (Archdeacon of Te Tairawhiti Bishopric) until 2007.
Their decision to build a solar-powered house for their retirement reflects their commitment to preserving the natural environment while encouraging whanau to work at generating income for the use and retention of their land.
Te Waka Toi chairman Darrin Haimona said their work — along with that of the other award recipients — helped to make the Maori arts “stronger and better”.
“The Te Waka Toi awards provide the perfect opportunity to celebrate the lives and successes of Maori arts practitioners while also serving as a springboard for emerging artists,” Mr Haimona said.
“They recognise the mana of people who have dedicated their lives to the retention and future development of Maori arts and culture.”

Tamararo Kapa Haka Draw 2010 (Primary and Junior)
PRIMARY KAPA
 8.00am Doors open
 8:15am Mihimihi / Karakia / Panui
 8.30am NGAHAU  -  Te Kura o Manutuke
 9:00am Te Kura Reo Rua o Waikirikiri
 09.30am Te Pou Ka Eke (Ilminster Intermediate)
10.00am Te Roopu Kapa Haka o Te Wharau
10:30am Mangatu Primary Haka Club [Whanau/Hapu-based NOT a School]
11.00am Te Kura o Te Wairoa
11:30 am TKKM o Kawakawa mai Tawhiti
12:00pm Te Parekereke a Hauiti
12.30pm L U N C H
 1.00pm Te Kura o Hiruharama
 1:30pm TKKM o Nga Taonga Tuturu ki Tokomaru
 2.00pm Nga Mokopuna o Te Hokowhitu a Tu
 2:30pm TKKM o Te Waiu o Ngati Porou
 3.00pm Te Kura o Awapuni
 3:30pm NGAHAU  -  Nga Kohungahunga a Te Waiu
4.00pm P R I M A R Y   P R I Z E G I V I N G
JUNIOR  KAPA
4.30pm Mangatu Rangatahi [Whanau/Hapu-based NOT a School]
5.00pm Turanga Wahine Turanga Tane
5.30pm Nga Taiohi a Hauiti
6.00pm Te Roopu Rangatahi o Ritana
6.30pm J U N I O R   P R I Z E G I V I N G
 Karakia whakamutunga

Te Matatini Draw 2011 - Te Matatini o te ra

Headline act for R & V announced
N E R D has been announced as a headline act for the Rhythm n Vines concert 2010.
N*E*R*D, fronted by Pharrell Williams, brings together a hybrid of rock and roll, funk, hip hop, R&B, pop and sci-fi.
The American trio have toured with the likes of Kanye West, Rihanna and Lupe Fiasco, and their performance at R&V will be their first in New Zealand. R&V runs from December 29 to January 1, and tickets for the three-day music festival go on sale today.

PSGE two option models
Ngati Porou are invited to view and select their preference of the two option models for the post settlement governance entity.
You can view the two models at the following link. click here
More information can be obtained at www.tehaeata.co.nz and www.ngatiporou.com

We shall fight them on the beaches . . . By Chimene del la Varis (Gisborne Herald 28 June 2010)
NO DRILLING: Protesters link arms on Kaiti Beach yesterday to show opposition to offshore drilling in the Raukumara Basin. Groups of people gathered on beaches along the East Coast to light bonfires in opposition to exploratory drilling by Petrobras.Picture by Dave Thomas Chimene del la Varis
BONFIRES were lit on East Coast beaches yesterday as iwi groups protested against future oil exploration in the Raukumara Basin.
More than 200 people gathered at Wharekahika (Hicks Bay), Te Araroa, Rangitukia, Reporua Beach, Waihau, Tolaga and Tokomaru Bays and on Gisborne’s Kaiti Beach to declare their opposition to the exploratory drilling permit issued to oil giant Petrobras by Crown Minerals last month.
The story made headlines around the country, with Maori television filming and TV3 using a helicopter to cover the events.
The series of protests was organised by a network of East Coast iwi and Ngati Porou hapu to show their concern as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill continues to wreak ecological disaster on America’s coastline.

more...

NGATI Porou says Government has breached the Treaty of Waitangi in allowing oil drilling off the East Cape.
Four weeks ago Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee announced a five-year petroleum exploration permit covering 12,330 sq km had been awarded to oil giant Petrobras. Mr Brownlee said exploratory mining in the Raukumara Basin would go ahead, despite strong opposition by prominent Tairawhiti leaders. “In the end we’re not stopping,” he said. Ngati Porou leader Api Mahuika told media the Crown acted outside the Treaty because it had not consulted and had failed to honour a guarantee to protect the rights of Maori. “Gerry Brownlee is full of broken promises,” he said. Speaking on National Radio this morning, Dr Mahuika said the Government’s idea of “good faith” seemed to be to go ahead and do exactly what it liked — no matter what agreements had been reached previously. There would be more protests like the one held on Sunday when more than 200 people lit bonfires along beaches from Opotiki to Gisborne to protest against the deal, he said. The protest was organised through a “No-Drilling” Facebook page with 2200 members set up 11 days ago by Te Whanau-a-Apanui. Dr Mahuika said Ngati Porou was concerned about the environmental risks of the oil drilling operation and Petrobras had a “shameful environmental record”. Government had not consulted with iwi about the permit in advance, he said. Gerry Brownlee has apologised for failing to inform iwi, but said the agreement with Petrobras was a done deal. Government would make sure there would be no repeat of the Gulf of Mexico here, he said.
Dr Mahuika said he was not impressed with Mr Brownlee’s “guarantees”. “If he was able to predict that, maybe BP should have employed him,” he said. The Crown Minerals Minister said iwi did not have a right of veto over oil exploration. “We can either work together or be at loggerheads — it’s their choice.”

Nati Link
The Te Runanga o Ngati Porou publication that ran from 1998-2005, has relaunched as Nati Link Online. This new updated version features korero about issues and stories relevant to all Ngati Porou whanau. Read about the upcoming 2010 Pa Wars, 3D animators from Uawa and a young Nati in New York City!!!
Download the first issue of Nati Link Online here http://www.ngatiporou.com/myfiles/Nati_Link_Online_Issue_1_Dec_2009-Jan_2010.pdf
Nga Kohinga o Ngati Porou magazines out now!
To receive regular copies of the magazine join the RNP club. For just $30 you will receive an annual subscription to the magazine plu 15% off all RNP merchandise. Contact us today on (06) 8648020 or email reception@radiongatiporou.co.nz

TE TAIRĀWHITI TO HOST TE MATATINI NATIONAL KAPA HAKA FESTIVAL 2011
Te Matatini Society chairman Selwyn Parata announced today that Te Tairāwhiti would host the Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival 2011, in Gisborne. This year’s festival in Tauranga drew crowds of up to 50,000 spectators over the three days and the expectation for Festival 2011 is to double those figures with a growing number of non-Māori and international tourists expected to attend. 'The decision was made by the national committee, who represent Kapa Haka groups throughout New Zealand and Australia' he said. Four bids were received from Aotea (New Plymouth), Te Arawa (Rotorua), Te Tairāwhiti (Gisborne) and Waitaha (Christchurch). 'The Te Matatini national committee was tested to the maximum in considering a number of outstanding proposals but at the completion of presentations the committee identified two bids for consideration – Te Tairāwhiti and Te Arawa' said Mr Parata.
‘Both presentations captured our imagination.’ ‘Te Arawa presented with a high degree of professionalism. Te Tairāwhiti presented a green fields proposal using Waiohika Estate, the venue of the successful Rhythm and Vines concert'. After much deliberation, he said, the committee made its decision to award the 2011 Festival to Te Tairāwhiti and the next festival in 2013 to Te Arawa. “I congratulate Te Tairāwhiti on the success of their bid and welcome their support to assist Te Matatini run a world-class event.”